Insecticidal proteins compositions and methods of use

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/644,183, filed on May 8, 2024, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

This application was filed with a Sequence Listing XML in ST.26 XML format accordance with 37 C.F.R. § 1.831 and PCT Rule 13ter. The Sequence Listing XML file submitted in the USPTO Patent Center, “218903-0036-WO01_GEN00015WOPCT_Sequence Listing.xml,” was created on Apr. 9, 2025, contains 273 sequences, has a file size of 448 Kbytes (458,752 bytes), and is incorporated by reference in its entirety into the specification.

This disclosure relates to the field of molecular biology, specifically, novel genes and engineered variants that encode pesticidal proteins useful for controlling pathogens and pests, particularly plant pests. These pesticidal proteins and the nucleic acid sequences that encode them are useful in preparing pesticidal compositions and in the production of transgenic pest-resistant plants. The disclosure also relates generally to compositions and methods for controlling pathogens and pests, particularly plant pests.

Across the world, crops are subjected to multiple threats e.g., pests, plant diseases, and weeds. Losses due to pests and diseases are greatly threatening global food supply, hence the necessity to develop solutions to avoid partial or complete destruction of cultures. The main solutions are chemicals, biocontrols, or genetically modified organisms.

Current strategies use genes expressing pesticidal proteins to produce transgenic crops. These pesticidal proteins are generally derived from(“Bt”), a Gram-positive spore forming soil bacterium. Current commercial pesticidal proteins include Bt Cry (crystal protein), or VIP (Vegetative Insecticidal Protein). Transgenic crops expressing insecticidal proteins are used to combat crop damage from insects.

The wide adoption of pesticidal protein-based technologies by farmers for controlling insects in the fields gave rise to resistance to these pesticidal proteins in some target pests in many parts of the world. One way of solving this problem is stacking pesticidal protein genes with different modes of action against insects in transformed plants. In order to find new pesticidal proteins with new modes of action, possible strategies involve discovering new pesticidal proteins from new sources or protein engineering. Thus, there is a need for novel insecticidal proteins for controlling plant pests.

In one aspect, the disclosure relates to a method of protecting a plant from infection by a plant pathogen or pest, the method comprising: transforming the plant with a nucleic acid molecule encoding a polypeptide having at least 80% sequence identity to any one of SEQ ID NOs: 1-184 to generate a transformed plant expressing the polypeptide, wherein said polypeptide has pesticidal activity against the plant pathogen or pest; and regenerating the transformed plant expressing the polypeptide. In an embodiment, the polypeptide has at least 95% sequence identity to any one of SEQ ID NOs: 1-184. In another embodiment, the polypeptide is any one of SEQ ID NOs: 1-184. In another embodiment, the plant pathogen or pest is selected from the group consisting of fall armyworm (), corn earworm (), European corn borer (), cotton boll worm (), black cutworm (), lesser cornstalk borer (), Asian corn borer (), southwestern corn borer (), sugarcane borer (), western bean cutworm (), velvetbean caterpillar (), western corn rootworm (), and combinations thereof.

In a further aspect, the disclosure relates to a transformed plant, seed, or plant part comprising a recombinant nucleic acid molecule encoding a polypeptide having at least 80% sequence identity to any one of SEQ ID NOs: 1-184 stably incorporated into a genome of the transformed plant, seed, or plant part, wherein the transformed plant, seed, or plant part stably expresses the polypeptide, and wherein the polypeptide has pesticidal activity against a plant pathogen or pest. In an embodiment, the polypeptide has at least 95% sequence identity to any one of SEQ ID NOs: 1-184. In another embodiment, the polypeptide is any one of SEQ ID NOs: 1-184. In another embodiment, the transformed plant, seed, or plant part is selected from the group consisting of rice, barley, sorghum, soybean, cotton, maize, rapeseed, sugar cane, tobacco, sunflower, and wheat.

Another aspect of the disclosure provides a recombinant nucleic acid molecule comprising a polynucleotide sequence encoding a polypeptide having at least 80% sequence identity to any one of SEQ ID NOs: 1-184, wherein the polypeptide has pesticidal activity against a plant pathogen or pest. In an embodiment, the polypeptide has at least 95% sequence identity to any one of SEQ ID NOs: 1-184. In another embodiment, the polypeptide is any one of SEQ ID NOs: 1-184. In another embodiment, the polynucleotide sequence encoding the polypeptide is operably linked to one or more promoter sequences.

Another aspect of the disclosure provides a vector comprising a recombinant nucleic acid molecule comprising a polynucleotide sequence encoding a polypeptide having at least 80% sequence identity to any one of SEQ ID NOs: 1-184, wherein the polypeptide has pesticidal activity against a plant pathogen or pest. In an embodiment, the polypeptide has at least 95% sequence identity to any one of SEQ ID NOs: 1-184. In another embodiment, the polypeptide is any one of SEQ ID NOs: 1-184.

Another aspect of the disclosure provides a transformed host cell comprising a recombinant nucleic acid molecule comprising a polynucleotide sequence encoding a polypeptide having at least 80% sequence identity to any one of SEQ ID NOs: 1-184, wherein the polypeptide has pesticidal activity against a plant pathogen or pest. In an embodiment, the polypeptide has at least 95% sequence identity to any one of SEQ ID NOs: 1-184. In another embodiment, the polypeptide is any one of SEQ ID NOs: 1-184.

Another aspect of the disclosure provides a method of treating a plant or plant part against a plant pathogen or pest, the method comprising: applying to the plant or plant part an effective amount of at least one polypeptide having at least 80% sequence identity to any one of SEQ ID NOs: 1-184, wherein the polypeptide has pesticidal activity against the plant pathogen or pest. In an embodiment, the polypeptide has at least 95% sequence identity to any one of SEQ ID NOs: 1-184. In another embodiment, the polypeptide is any one of SEQ ID NOs: 1-184.

Another aspect of the disclosure provides a composition having insecticidal activity against a plant pathogen or pest, the composition comprising an effective amount of at least one polypeptide having at least 80% sequence identity to any one of SEQ ID NOs: 1-184. In an embodiment, the polypeptide has at least 95% sequence identity to any one of SEQ ID NOs: 1-184. In another embodiment, the polypeptide is any one of SEQ ID NOs: 1-184.

Another aspect of the disclosure provides polynucleotides comprising a polynucleotide sequence encoding any of the insecticidal polypeptides described herein operably linked to a heterologous regulatory element.

Another aspect of the disclosure provides cells comprising any of the polynucleotides described herein. In an embodiment, the cell is a plant cell or a bacteria cell.

Another aspect of the disclosure provides modified plants comprising any of the polynucleotides or cells described herein.

Another aspect of the disclosure provides compositions and methods for modifying bacteria, plants, plant cells, tissues, and seeds to provide insect resistance. In some embodiments, nucleic acid molecules encode sequences for pesticidal and insecticidal polypeptides, vectors comprise those nucleic acid molecules, and host cells comprise the vectors. Compositions may also include the pesticidal polypeptide sequences and antibodies to those polypeptides. Compositions may also comprise modified bacteria, plants, plant cells, tissues, and seeds.

This disclosure provides for other aspects and embodiments that will be apparent considering the following detailed description and accompanying figures.

Before any embodiments of this disclosure are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the disclosure is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the accompanying figures. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.

Described herein are compositions and methods comprising insecticidal proteins useful for conferring pesticidal activity. Disclosed compositions and methods may include isolated, recombinant, engineered, and purified polypeptides having pesticidal activity. In some embodiments, recombinant nucleic acid molecules including DNA constructs and vectors that encode polypeptides having pesticidal activity are described herein. In some embodiments, nucleic acid molecules and polypeptides may be described as DNA constructs and expression cassettes for transforming plants, plant tissues, plant parts, plant cells, and plant seeds, as well as microorganisms. Polypeptides having pesticidal activity as described herein may provide useful alternatives to those currently deployed in commercial transgenic plants.

Unless otherwise defined herein, all technical and scientific terms used in connection with the present disclosure shall have the same meanings that are commonly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art. In case of conflict, the present document, including definitions, will control. Preferred methods and materials are described below, although methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in practice or testing of the present disclosure. All publications, patent applications, patents and other references mentioned herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety. The materials, methods, and examples disclosed herein are illustrative only and not intended to be limiting. Further, unless otherwise required by context, singular terms shall include pluralities and plural terms shall include the singular.

The terms “comprise(s),” “include(s),” “having,” “has,” “can,” “contain(s),” and variants thereof, as used herein, are intended to be open-ended transitional phrases, terms, or words that do not preclude the possibility of additional acts or structures. The singular forms “a,” “and,” and “the” include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. The present disclosure also contemplates other embodiments “comprising,” “consisting of,” and “consisting essentially of,” the embodiments or elements presented herein, whether explicitly set forth or not.

For the recitation of numeric ranges herein, each intervening number there between with the same degree of precision is explicitly contemplated. For example, for the range of 6-9, the numbers 7 and 8 are contemplated in addition to 6 and 9, and for the range 6.0-7.0, the number 6.0, 6.1, 6.2, 6.3, 6.4, 6.5, 6.6, 6.7, 6.8, 6.9, and 7.0 are explicitly contemplated.

The term “about” or “approximately” as used herein as applied to one or more values of interest, refers to a value that is similar to a stated reference value, or within an acceptable error range for the particular value as determined by one of ordinary skill in the art, which will depend in part on how the value is measured or determined, such as the limitations of the measurement system. In certain aspects, the term “about” refers to a range of values that fall within 20%, 19%, 18%, 17%, 16%, 15%, 14%, 13%, 12%, 11%, 10%, 9%, 8%, 7%, 6%, 5%, 4%, 3%, 2%, 1%, or less in either direction (greater than or less than) of the stated reference value unless otherwise stated or otherwise evident from the context (except where such number would exceed 100% of a possible value). Alternatively, “about” can mean within 3 or more than 3 standard deviations, per the practice in the art. Alternatively, such as with respect to biological systems or processes, the term “about” can mean within an order of magnitude, preferably within 5-fold, and more preferably within 2-fold, of a value.

“Amino acid” as used herein refers to naturally occurring and non-natural synthetic amino acids, as well as amino acid analogs and amino acid mimetics that function in a manner similar to the naturally occurring amino acids. Naturally occurring amino acids are those encoded by the genetic code. Amino acids can be referred to herein by either their commonly known three-letter symbols or by the one-letter symbols recommended by the IUPAC-IUB Biochemical Nomenclature Commission. Amino acids include the side chain and polypeptide backbone portions.

“Coding sequence” or “encoding nucleic acid” as used herein means the nucleic acids (RNA or DNA molecule) that comprise a nucleotide sequence which encodes a protein. The coding sequence can further include initiation and termination signals operably linked to regulatory elements including a promoter and polyadenylation signal capable of directing expression in the cells of an organism to which the nucleic acid is administered. The coding sequence may be codon optimized.

“Complement” or “complementary” as used herein can mean Watson-Crick (e.g., A-T/U and C-G) or Hoogsteen base pairing between nucleotides or nucleotide analogs of nucleic acid molecules. “Complementarity” refers to a property shared between two nucleic acid sequences, such that when they are aligned antiparallel to each other, the nucleotide bases at each position will be complementary.

The terms “control,” “reference level,” and “reference” are used herein interchangeably. The reference level may be a predetermined value or range, which is employed as a benchmark against which to assess the measured result. “Control group” as used herein refers to a group of control organisms. The predetermined level may be a cutoff value from a control group. The predetermined level may be an average from a control group. The normal levels or ranges for a target or for a protein activity may be defined in accordance with standard practice. A control may be an organism or cell without a vector as detailed herein. A control may be an organism, or a sample therefrom, whose condition is known. The organism, or sample therefrom, may be healthy, exposed to a toxin, exposed to a toxin prior to treatment, exposed to a toxin during treatment, or exposed to a toxin after treatment, or a combination thereof.

“Derived” and “derived from” as used herein refers to a DNA or amino acid sequence or a part of a DNA or amino acid sequence that has part or all of the sequence found in a native gene or protein.

“Functional” and “full-functional” as used herein describes protein that has biological activity. A “functional gene” refers to a gene transcribed to mRNA, which is translated to a functional protein.

“Fusion protein” as used herein refers to a chimeric protein created through the joining of two or more genes or gene fragments that originally coded for separate polypeptides. The translation of the fusion gene results in a single polypeptide with functional properties derived from each of the original polypeptides. A “chimeric protein” as used herein refers to a polypeptide comprising at least one polypeptide segment from two heterologous genes or two heterologous polypeptides.

“Genetic construct” or “construct” as used herein refers to the DNA or RNA nucleic acid molecules that comprise a polynucleotide that encodes a protein. The coding sequence includes initiation and termination signals operably linked to regulatory elements including a promoter and polyadenylation signal capable of directing expression in the cells of the organism to which the nucleic acid molecule is administered. As used herein, the term “expressible form” refers to gene constructs that contain the necessary regulatory elements operable linked to a coding sequence that encodes a protein such that when present in the cell of the organism, the coding sequence will be expressed.

The term “heterologous” as used herein refers to nucleic acid comprising two or more subsequences that are not found in the same relationship to each other in nature. For instance, a nucleic acid that is recombinantly produced typically has two or more sequences from unrelated genes synthetically arranged to make a new functional nucleic acid, for example, a promoter from one source and a coding region from another source. The two nucleic acids are thus heterologous to each other in this context. When added to a cell, the recombinant nucleic acids would also be heterologous to the endogenous genes of the cell. Thus, in a chromosome, a heterologous nucleic acid would include a non-native (non-naturally occurring) nucleic acid that has integrated into the chromosome, or a non-native (non-naturally occurring) extrachromosomal nucleic acid. Similarly, a heterologous protein indicates that the protein comprises two or more subsequences that are not found in the same relationship to each other in nature (for example, a “fusion protein,” where the two subsequences are encoded by a single nucleic acid sequence). A heterologous polynucleotide may be created using any gene editing or molecular biological technique. As used herein, a “heterologous domain” refers to a protein domain region that is combined with one or more naturally occurring domain regions to form a non-native (non-naturally occurring) engineered fusion protein, where the heterologous domain and the one or more naturally occurring domain regions are not found in the same relationship to each other in nature.

“Identical” or “identity” as used herein in the context of two or more polynucleotide or polypeptide sequences means that the sequences have a specified percentage of residues that are the same over a specified region. The percentage may be calculated by optimally aligning the two sequences, comparing the two sequences over the specified region, determining the number of positions at which the identical residue occurs in both sequences to yield the number of matched positions, dividing the number of matched positions by the total number of positions in the specified region, and multiplying the result by 100 to yield the percentage of sequence identity. In cases where the two sequences are of different lengths or the alignment produces one or more staggered ends and the specified region of comparison includes only a single sequence, the residues of a single sequence are included in the denominator but not the numerator of the calculation. When comparing DNA and RNA, thymine (T) and uracil (U) may be considered equivalent. Determining the percent sequence identity between any two or more nucleic acid or amino acid sequences can be accomplished using one or more mathematical algorithms. For example, identity may be performed manually or by using a computer sequence algorithm such as BLAST or BLAST 2.0.

“Natural gene” as used herein refers to a gene that has not undergone a change, such as a loss, gain, or exchange of genetic material. The natural gene undergoes normal gene transmission and gene expression. For example, a natural gene may be a wild-type (i.e., native) gene.

“Nucleic acid” or “oligonucleotide” or “polynucleotide” as used herein means at least two nucleotides covalently linked together. The depiction of a single strand also defines the sequence of the complementary strand. Thus, a polynucleotide also encompasses the complementary strand of a depicted single strand. Many variants of a polynucleotide may be used for the same purpose as a given polynucleotide. Thus, a polynucleotide also encompasses substantially identical polynucleotides and complements thereof. A single strand provides a probe that may hybridize to a target sequence under stringent hybridization conditions. Thus, a polynucleotide also encompasses a probe that hybridizes under stringent hybridization conditions. Polynucleotides may be single stranded or double stranded or may contain portions of both double stranded and single stranded sequence. The polynucleotide can be nucleic acid, natural or synthetic, DNA, genomic DNA, cDNA, RNA, or a hybrid, where the polynucleotide can contain combinations of deoxyribo- and ribo-nucleotides, and combinations of bases including, for example, uracil, adenine, thymine, cytosine, guanine, inosine, xanthine hypoxanthine, isocytosine, and isoguanine. Polynucleotides can be obtained by chemical synthesis methods or by recombinant methods.

“Open reading frame” refers to a stretch of codons that begins with a start codon and ends at a stop codon. In eukaryotic genes with multiple exons, introns are removed, and exons are then joined together after transcription to yield the final mRNA for protein translation. An open reading frame may be a continuous stretch of codons. In some embodiments, the open reading frame only applies to spliced mRNAs, not genomic DNA, for expression of a protein.

“Operably linked” as used herein means that expression of a gene is under the control of a or influenced by a regulatory element (e.g., promoter) with which it is spatially connected. A regulatory element may be positioned 5′ (upstream) or 3′ (downstream) of a gene. The distance between a regulatory element and a gene may be approximately the same as the distance between that regulatory element and the gene it controls in the gene from which the regulatory element is derived. Variation in this distance may be accommodated without loss of regulatory function. Nucleic acid or amino acid sequences are “operably linked” (or “operatively linked”) when placed into a functional relationship with one another. For instance, a regulatory element is operably linked to a coding sequence if it regulates, or contributes to the modulation of, the transcription of the coding sequence. Operably linked DNA sequences are typically contiguous, and operably linked amino acid sequences are typically contiguous and in the same reading frame. However, since enhancers generally function when separated from the promoter by up to several kilobases or more and intronic sequences may be of variable lengths, some polynucleotide elements may be operably linked but not contiguous. Similarly, certain amino acid sequences that are non-contiguous in a primary polypeptide sequence may nonetheless be operably linked due to, for example folding of a polypeptide chain. With respect to fusion polypeptides, the terms “operatively linked” and “operably linked” can refer to the fact that each of the components performs the same function in linkage to the other component as it would if it were not so linked.

A “peptide” or “polypeptide” is a linked sequence of two or more amino acids linked by peptide bonds. The polypeptide can be natural, synthetic, or a modification or combination of natural and synthetic. Peptides and polypeptides include proteins such as binding proteins, receptors, and transport proteins. The terms “polypeptide”, “protein,” and “peptide” are used interchangeably herein. “Primary structure” refers to the amino acid sequence of a particular peptide. “Secondary structure” refers to locally ordered, three dimensional structures within a polypeptide. These structures are commonly known as domains, for example, enzymatic domains, extracellular domains, transmembrane domains, pore domains, and cytoplasmic tail domains. “Domains” are portions of a polypeptide that form a compact unit of the polypeptide and are typically 15 to 350 amino acids long. Exemplary domains include domains with enzymatic activity or ligand binding activity. Typical domains are made up of sections of lesser organization such as stretches of beta-sheet and alpha-helices. “Tertiary structure” refers to the complete three-dimensional structure of a polypeptide monomer. “Quaternary structure” refers to the three-dimensional structure formed by the noncovalent association of independent tertiary units. A “motif” is a portion of a polypeptide sequence and includes at least two amino acids. A motif may be 2 to 20, 2 to 15, or 2 to 10 amino acids in length. A domain may be comprised of a series of the same type of motif.

“Pest” includes, but is not limited to, insects, fungi, bacteria, nematodes, mites, ticks, and the like. Insect pests may include insects selected from the orders Coleoptera, Diptera, Hymenoptera, Lepidoptera, Mallophaga, Homoptera, Hemiptera, Orthroptera, Thysanoptera, Dermaptera, Isoptera, Anoplura, Siphonaptera, and Trichoptera.

In certain embodiments described herein, insect pests may include larvae and adults of the order Coleoptera including weevils from the families Anthribidae, Bruchidae, and Curculionidae including, but not limited to:Boheman (boll weevil);LeConte (sunflower stem weevil);Linnaeus (root weevil);Fabricius (clover leaf weevil);Kuschel (rice water weevil);Linnaeus (West Indian cane weevil);Olivier (silky cane weevil);Linnaeus (granary weevil);Linnaeus (rice weevil);LeConte (red sunflower seed weevil);LeConte (gray sunflower seed weevil);Chittenden (maize billbug);Boisduval (New Guinea sugarcane weevil); flea beetles, cucumber beetles, rootworms, leaf beetles, potato beetles, and leafminers in the family Chrysomelidae including, but not limited to:Horn (desert corn flea beetle);Melsheimer (corn flea beetle);Fabricius (grape);Smith & Lawrence (northern corn rootworm);Barber (southern corn rootworm);LeConte (western corn rootworm);Say (Colorado potato beetle);Linnaeus (cereal leaf beetle);Goeze (corn flea beetle);Fabricius (sunflower beetle); beetles from the family Coccinellidae including, but not limited to:Mulsant (Mexican bean beetle); chafers and other beetles from the family Scarabaeidae including, but not limited to:Britton (Childers cane grub);Arrow (northern masked chafer, white grub);Olivier (southern masked chafer, white grub);Waterhouse (Greyback cane beetle);LeConte (sugarcane beetle);Blackburn (French's cane grub);De Geer (carrot beetle);Blatchley (sugarcane grub);Burmeister (white grub);LeConte (June beetle);Newman (Japanese beetle);Razoumowsky (European chafer); carpet beetles from the family Dermestidae; wireworms from the family Elateridae,spp.,spp. includingGyllenhal (wireworm);spp.;spp.;spp.;spp.;spp.; bark beetles from the family Scolytidae; beetles from the family Tenebrionidae; beetles from the family Cerambycidae such as, but not limited to,Westwood (longhorn beetle); and beetles from the Buprestidae family including, but not limited to,Obenberger (leaf-mining buprestid beetle).

In other embodiments, insect pests may include immatures and adults of the order Diptera, including leafminersLoew (corn blotch leafminer); midges including, but not limited to:Coquillett (sorghum midge);Say (Hessian fly);Felt, (sunflower seed midge);Géhin (wheat midge); fruit flies (Tephritidae),Linnaeus (frit flies); maggots including, but not limited to:spp. includingMeigen (seedcorn maggot);Fallen (wheat bulb fly);Linnaeus,Stein (lesser house flies);Fitch (wheat stem maggot);Linnaeus (house flies);Linnaeus (stable flies)); face flies, horn flies, blow flies,spp.;spp.; and other muscoid fly pests, horse fliesspp.; bot fliesspp.;spp.; cattle grubsspp.; deer fliesspp.;Linnaeus (keds); and other Brachycera, mosquitoesspp.;spp.;spp.; black fliesspp.;spp.; biting midges, sand flies, sciarids, and other Nematocera.

Lepidoptera insects may include, but are not limited to, armyworms, cutworms, loopers, and heliothines in the family Noctuidae:Hufnagel (black cutworm);Morrison (western cutworm);Denis & Schiffermüller (turnip moth);Fabricius (granulate cutworm);Hubner (cotton leaf worm);Hubner (velvetbean caterpillar);Barnes and McDunnough (rough skinned cutworm);Boisduval (spiny bollworm);Fabricius (spotted bollworm);(Xylomyges)Grote (citrus cutworm);Harris (darksided cutworm);Hubner (American bollworm);Boddie (corn earworm or cotton bollworm);Fabricius (tobacco budworm);Fabricius (green cloverworm);Walker (bertha armyworm);Linnaeus (cabbage moth);Harris (zebra caterpillar);Haworth (armyworm);Walker (soybean looper);Smith (Western bean cutworm);JE Smith (fall armyworm);Hubner (beet armyworm);Fabricius (tobacco cutworm, cluster caterpillar);Hubner (cabbage looper); borers, casebearers, webworms, coneworms, and skeletonizers from the families Pyralidae and Crambidae such asFabricius (lesser wax moth);Walker (naval orangeworm);Zeller (Mediterranean flour moth);Walker (almond moth);Swinhoe (spotted stalk borer);Walker (striped stem/rice borer);Pagenstecher (sugarcane stemp borer); Corcyra cephalonica Stainton (rice moth);Clemens (corn root webworm);Zincken (bluegrass webworm);Guenee (rice leaf roller);Hubner (grape leaffolder);Linnaeus (melon worm);Stoll (pickleworm);Dyar (southwestern corn borer),Fabricius (surgarcane borer);Zeller (lesser cornstalk borer);Dyar (Mexican rice borer);Hubner (tobacco (cacao) moth);Linnaeus (greater wax moth);Butler (sugarcane leafroller);Walker (sod webworm);Hulst (sunflower moth);Linnaeus (beet webworm);Geyer (bean pod borer);Walker (tea tree web moth);Hubner (European corn borer);Hubner (Indian meal moth);Walker (yellow stem borer);Guenee (celery leaftier); and leafrollers, budworms, seed worms, and fruit worms in the family TortricidaeWalsingham (Western blackheaded budworm);Fernald (Eastern blackheaded budworm);Fischer von Rosslerstamm (summer fruitmoth);spp. includingWalker (fruit tree leaf roller) andLinnaeus (European leaf roller);spp.;Meyrick (Brazilian apple leafroller);spp.;Walsingham (banded sunflower moth);Walsingham (filbertworm);Linnaeus (codling moth);Clemens (grape berry moth);Hubner (vine moth);Busck (oriental fruit moth);Denis & Schiffermüller (European grape vine moth);Clemens (variegated leafroller);Walsingham (omnivorous leafroller);Denis & Schiffermüller (eyespotted bud moth); andRiley (sunflower bud moth).

Additional Lepidoptera agronomic pests may include, but are not limited to,Harris (fall cankerworm);Zeller (peach twig borer);J. E. Smith (orange striped oakworm); Antheraea pernyi Guérin-Méneville (Chinese Oak Silkmoth);Linnaeus (Silkworm);Busck (cotton leaf perforator);Boisduval (alfalfa caterpillar);Grote & Robinson (walnut caterpillar);Tschetwerikov (Siberian silk moth),Hubner (elm spanworm);Harris (linden looper);Walsingham (sugarcane bud moth);Linnaeus (browntail moth);Guérin-Méneville (grapeleaf skeletonizer);Guenee;Cockrell (range caterpillar);Drury (fall webworm);Walsingham (tomato pinworm);Hulst (Eastern hemlock looper);Hulst (Western hemlock looper);Linnaeus (satin moth);Linnaeus (gypsy moth);spp.;Haworth (five spotted hawk moth, tomato hornworm);Haworth (tomato hornworm, tobacco hornworm);Linnaeus (winter moth);spp.;Peck (spring cankerworm);Cramer (giant swallowtail, orange dog);Packard (California oakworm);Stainton (citrus leafminer);Fabricius (spotted tentiform leafminer);Linnaeus (large white butterfly);Linnaeus (small white butterfly);Linnaeus (green veined white butterfly);Riley (artichoke plume moth);Linnaeus (diamondback moth);Saunders (pink bollworm);Boisduval & Leconte (Southern cabbageworm);Guenee (omnivorous looper);J. E. Smith (red humped caterpillar);Olivier (Angoumois grain moth);Schiffermuller (pine processionary caterpillar);Hummel (webbing clothesmoth);Meyrick (tomato leafminer) andLinnaeus (ermine moth).

In certain embodiments, insect pests may include those of the order Hemiptera including, but not limited to, the following families: Adelgidae, Aleyrodidae, Aphididae, Asterolecaniidae, Cercopidae, Cicadellidae, Cicadidae, Cixiidae, Coccidae, Coreidae, Dactylopiidae, Delphacidae, Diaspididae, Eriococcidae, Flatidae, Fulgoridae, lssidae, Lygaeidae, Margarodidae, Membracidae, Miridae, Ortheziidae, Pentatomidae, Phoenicococcidae, Phylloxeridae, Pseudococcidae, Psyllidae, Pyrrhocoridae and Tingidae.

Non-limiting examples of agronomically important insect pests from the order Hemiptera include:Say (green stink bug);Harris (pea aphid);spp. (adelgids);Say (rapid plant bug);De Geer (squash bug);Koch (cowpea aphid);Scopoli (black bean aphid);Glover (cotton aphid, melon aphid);Forbes (corn root aphid);De Geer (apple aphid);Patch (spirea aphid);Zehntner (sugarcane scale);Kaltenbach (foxglove aphid);Gennadius (tobacco whitefly, sweetpotato whitefly);Bellows & Perring (silverleaf whitefly);Say (chinch bug);spp.;Linnaeus (cabbage aphid);Foerster (pear);Gmelin (potato capsid bug);Cockerell (strawberry aphid); Cimicidae spp.; Coreidae spp.;Fabricius (cotton lace bug);Distant (tomato bug);Distant (suckfly);Stål (spittlebug);Ashmead (citrus whitefly);Say (honeylocust plant bug);Kurdjumov/Mordvilko (Russian wheat aphid);Green (armored scale);Paaserini (rosy apple aphid);Herrich-Schaffer (cotton stainer);Kuwana (gray sugarcane mealybug);Harris (potato leafhopper);Hausmann (woolly apple aphid);spp. (grape leafhoppers);Muir (Island sugarcane planthopper);spp.;Say (brown stink bug);Palisot de Beauvois (one-spotted stink bug);spp. (complex of seed bugs); andGeoffroy (mealy plum aphid);Maskell (cottony cushion scale);Knight (onion plant bug);Fallen (smaller brown planthopper);Say (leaf-footed pine seed bug);Herrich-Schaeffer (sugarcane lace bug);Kaltenbach (turnip aphid);Linnaeus (common green capsid);Palisot de Beauvois (tarnished plant bug);Knight (Western tarnished plant bug);Linnaeus (common meadow bug);Poppius (European tarnished plant bug);Thomas (potato aphid);Forbes (aster leafhopper);Linnaeus (periodical cicada);Stål (sugarcane spittlebug);Zehntner (sugarcane aphid);Green (black scale);Walker (rose grain aphid);Sulzer (peach-potato aphid, green peach aphid);Mosley (lettuce aphid);Uhler (green leafhopper);Stål (rice leafhopper);Linnaeus (southern green stink bug);Stål (brown planthopper);Schilling (false chinch bug);Howard (false chinch bug);Fabricius (rice stink bug);Dallas (large milkweed bug);Linnaeus;spp. (root aphids and gall aphids);Ashmead (corn planthopper);Kirkaldy (sugarcane delphacid);Pergande (pecan);Risso (citrus mealybug);Fallen (apple capsid);Fabricius (four-lined plant bug);Reuter (cotton fleahopper);spp. (other mealybug complex);Newstead (cottony grass scale);Walker (sugarcane leafhopper); Pyrrhocoridae spp.;Comstock (San Jose scale); Reduviidae spp.;Fitch (corn leaf aphid);Linnaeus (bird cherry-oat aphid);Cockerell (pink sugarcane mealybug);Rondani (greenbug);Forbes (yellow sugarcane aphid);Fabricius (English grain aphid);Horvath (white-backed planthopper);Muir (rice delphacid);Reuter (whitemarked fleahopper);Buckton (spotted alfalfa aphid);spp.;Boyer de Fonscolombe (black citrus aphid); andKirkaldy (brown citrus aphid);abutiloneus (bandedwinged whitefly) andWestwood (greenhouse whitefly);Ashmead (persimmon); andMcAtee (white apple leafhopper).

In other embodiments, insect pests may also include adults and larvae of the order Acari (mites) including, but not limited to,Keifer (wheat curl mite);Koch (European red mite);Muller (brown wheat mite);Michael (sugarcane stalk mite); spider mites and red mites in the family Tetranychidae,Baker & Pritchard,Hirst (sugarcane leaf mite),Banks (Banks grass mite),McGregor (sugarcane spider mite);Koch (two spotted spider mite);McGregor (McDaniel mite);Boisduval (carmine spider mite);Ugarov & Nikolski (strawberry spider mite), flat mites in the family Tenuipalpidae,McGregor (citrus flat mite); rust and bud mites in the family Eriophyidae and other foliar feeding mites and mites important in human and animal health, i.e. dust mites in the family Epidermoptidae, follicle mites in the family Demodicidae, grain mites in the family Glycyphagidae, ticks in the order Ixodidae.Say (deer tick);Neumann (Australian paralysis tick);Say (American dog tick);Linnaeus (lone star tick); and scab and itch mites in the families Psoroptidae, Pyemotidae, and Sarcoptidae.

In addition, insect pests may also include those of the order Thysanura, such asLinnaeus (silverfish) andPackard (firebrat).

Insect pests may also include those of the order Isoptera, including those of the termitidae family, such as, but not limited to,Holmgren andHagen (sugarcane termite).

Insect pests may also include those of the order Thysanoptera, including but not limited to, such asvan Deventer (sugarcane).